DAMAGE TO THE HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT SYSTEM ON YOUR PLANER WILL RESULT.
PLANING BASICS
Proper Planing Technique
TO PLANE YOUR MATERIAL
1.Lower the carriage to the desired height for your first pass.
2.Turn the unit on and feed the material into the feed rollers.
3.Examine the finished cut and adjust the carriage to the appropriate height for your next pass.
NOTE: Flip the board back and forth between each pass as recommended in Proper Planing Techniques.
See the Troubleshooting Guide, page 14, for additional information.
WARNING: DO NOT TURN THE UNIT ON WITH THE MATERIAL ALREADY INSERTED UNDER THE CARRIAGE. WAIT UNTIL THE ROLLERS AND CUTTER HEAD ARE UP TO FULL SPEED BEFORE FEEDING YOUR MATERIAL INTO THE MACHINE.
For best results, plane both sides of the workpiece to reach a desired thickness. For example, if you need to remove 1/8" from your workpiece, remove 1/16" from each side. This not only allows the workpiece to dry with a even moisture content, it also produces finer cuts.
WARNING: Plane only wood that is free from foreign objects, with no loose knots and as few tight knots as possible. Do not plane wood that is severely warped, twisted, knotted or bowed.
WARNING: Do not place your body between the rear of the planer and a stationary object while material is feeding. Serious injury could result.
MINIMUM/MAXIMUM WIDTH/HEIGHT/DEPTH
NOTE: Always plane in the direction of the grain. Support the workpiece adequately at all times. Planing material less than 3/4"
7
wide is not recommended. If you must | TABLE A | |
plane narrow material, group several | ||
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pieces together and plane them as one |
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wide workpiece whenever possible. |
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The maximum depth of cut your planer can take in one pass is 1/8" (on material less than 6" wide). Never attempt to modify your planer to take a deeper cut. Follow the recommended depth/width of cut guidelines shown in Table A for best results.
Snipe
Snipe is a depression made when an unsupported end of your material drops toward the floor, causing the opposite end to lift up into the cutter head.
TO AVOID SNIPE
Feed the workpiece into the planer so it is level and remains flat against the base at all times.
Keep the workpiece level throughout planing operation by receiving or “catching” it from the rear of the planer.
If you are planing material that is especially long, the use of additional material support is recommended.
Twisted, Cupped and Bowed Wood
If both sides of your material are very rough or if the material is cupped, bowed or twisted, your planer may not produce the desired result. Ideally, you should have at least one level face/surface on your material before you plane. Your thickness planer will work best with material that has been run through a jointer to produce one flat surface. If you do not have at least one flat surface or a jointer, see the following recommendations.
